Antowain Smith Rookie Cards

Antowain Smith has some very interesting rookie cards from 1997. I'm not talking about the card design. I'm talking about poses and pictures.

We'll start with a basic pose but still sharp looking. It's the 1997 SkyBox Premium Autographics #54. Even in a t-shirt holding a helmet, Smith looks smooth. Also nice to have an autograph.



The next step up is on the 1997 Pinnacle Inside #141 featuring Antowain sitting on his helmet looking cool. There's also a smaller insert picture of him looking focused, but I hope he doesn't play with the earring on. The back has another pic of Smith smiling while wearing his helmet.



One more step up is the 1997 UD3 #16. Antowain looks like he's having a good time at this photo shoot. The pose on the front is a playful pose. More subtle, but still funny is the back photo with Smith smiling as he catches a ball in front of a garden of flowers.



Next is the 1997 Collector's Choice #316. I don't know how they took the picture on front, but it's just crazy.



On the next card, 1997 Topps Gallery #19, I love the picture and the card layout. Another fun photo shoot for Antowain with him posing in fake snow.



Finally we have the 1997 Upper Deck #16. This is the most interesting pose of all. Is he trying to break out of a cage? He certainly does look intense.

1997 Genuine Article #M35 & #M47 Antowain Smith

Special thanks to reader Victor for these scans.

I know nothing about Genuine Article cards, but these look pretty sharp.

Card #M35 features Smith being tackled. As usual, I LOVE the old school helmet. Oops, it looks like they misspelled his first name though. The back is very basic with a text scouting report.

To me, card #M47 is much more attractive. The front features a very interesting picture of Smith. I don't know if it is in game or not. Is he looking at a would be tackler? Is he posing for the camera? Who knows. It looks like this picture was taken at the 2006 Liberty Bowl based on the patch on his shoulder. Again his name is misspelled.

The back features Antowain running through Texas A&M players. The picture on M35 also is against A&M. UH didn't play A&M in 1996, so obviously this wasn't from his senior season. I'd guess it is from 1995. Whatever year it was, it wasn't pretty. Those were some tough times for UH football.

M35



M47

1999 Upper Deck Retro Smashmouth #S13 Antowain Smith

Antowain Smith was a running back for the University of Houston in 1995 & 1996 leading the team in rushing yards both years.

1996 was a very good year for both the Cougars and Antowain. Playing their first season in Conference USA, the Coogs achieved a 7-5 record, a shared conference championship, and a Liberty Bowl berth. Smith had 1,239 yards rushing, was a Conference USA first team selection, Conference USA offensive player of the year, and College Football News All American Honorable Mention.

Antowain's name is all over the UH record book. He holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in a game (5), most touchdowns in a game (6), and most points in a game (36). He also holds the record for longest run from scrimmage (96 yards).

He has the 6th most yards in a season (1,239), 2nd most rushing touchdowns(14), 10th in scoring (92), and tied for 3rd in touchdowns (15). For career statistics, he is tied for 10th in rushing TDs (19).

He was the 23rd pick in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft selected by the Buffalo Bills. He played 9 years in the NFL; with Buffalo from 1997-2000, with the New England Patriots from 2001-2003, with the Tennessee Titans in 2004, and the New Orleans Saints in 2005. He finished his career with 6,881 yards rushing, 982 yards receiving, and 2 Super Bowl wins with the Patriots.

Today's card is the 1999 Upper Deck Retro Smashmouth #S13. This is from the Smashmouth insert set. For a retro style card, this doesn't look too old school. It does have a great action photograph with an attempted arm tackle. Nice layout for information on the bottom of the card other than the wasted space for the Upper Deck Retro logo.

The back of the card is pretty boring. The only reference to Smith is his name, number, position, and team logo. The rest of the back includes definitions of the fairly basic football terms stunt, sweep, and takeaway. The back also includes serial numbering of the card up to 100.

Autograph Cards - 1999 Upper Deck Retro Inkredible Antowain Smith #AS and 2006-07 Press Pass Legends Alumni Association Autographs Drexler Hayes 3

The other insert card type that I enjoy is the autograph card. Collecting autographs is a way to feel closer to the athlete because you know he personally had contact with the signed piece.

For a personal collection, the best way to get an autograph is in person. The autograph is a physical reminder of your interaction with the athlete. When you look at the autograph, you can reminisce about the excitement of the moment. If your collection is more than for personal enjoyment, even if you document your interaction with a photograph, the authenticity of the autograph can come into question. Also it can be very difficult to obtain an autograph in person. Some athletes may not come to your town, may no longer travel, may not sign autographs are card shows, or may just not make many public appearances.

Another way to collect autographs is through dealers and online auctions. Unfortunately there are frequently fake autographs on the market and authenticity verification can be virtually impossible.

An insert card is an excellent way to collect the autograph of your favorite player. While you don't have the personal interaction with the the athlete, you do know that there was contact with the card. You also have some confidence that the autograph is authentic due to the reputaion of the card company.

The first autograph card below is the 1999 Upper Deck Retro Inkredible Antowain Smith #AS. This is one of the first autographed Cougar cards I ever bought.

The second card is the 2006-07 Press Pass Legends Alumni Association Autographs Drexler Hayes #3. What a great card to represent the fine history and tradition of UH basketball. Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes autographs on the same card with the fat UH logo on the card. I'd prefer the skinny UH logo since that's still my favorite. Also that was the logo when both players were at UH. But you won't hear me complain too much with such an exquisite card.